


The Program

by fathomlessspite



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Action/Adventure, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-11-10
Updated: 2006-11-10
Packaged: 2017-10-12 12:49:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/124998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fathomlessspite/pseuds/fathomlessspite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Meet Doctor Rodney McKay M.D. & Detective John Sheppard. Sheppard ends up in hospital from a gunshot wound on a failed raid with colleagues Lorne&Dex & finds himself under Dr. McKay's care. Both are experiencing strange flashbacks & memories. Not AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Program

Rodney glanced up from his breakfast to look around the room as a sudden feeling of... _wrongness_ , overwhelmed him. He blinked in confusion at the room before him, confused at the feeling that this was a place that he simply shouldn’t be.

As he glanced around the room seemed to melt around him into a completely different place altogether. Another cafeteria to be precise. This one however was completely different to the one he’d been in. Admittedly it was still full of his colleagues, bleary eyed and reaching for the coffee, but they were all dressed in different uniforms and clothes.

The architecture of the place was also widely different. His surroundings slowly morphed back into how they’d been moments earlier. He ran his hands over his face. It seemed that days without sleep and endless shifts even got to him eventually.

Rodney took a compulsive gulp of his now barely lukewarm coffee and sighed. He was going to have to get some sleep soon, he was truly beginning to worry about his sanity. It looked like a visit to Heightmeyer was on the horizon, he would put it off for as long as he could though.

The powers that be kept a close eye on the health of their employees, mental as well as physical, especially in this job. Too many visits and he’d likely be up for an official psychological review. That would only happen over his dead body and his dead body only, because if it did happen he was so completely and totally screwed. Not to mention out of a job.

He glared at the depths of his coffee cup, before heaving himself out of his chair for another day’s work.

***

John Sheppard was not having a good day. He and his team had been conducting a raid, a well planned raid, where absolutely nothing could go wrong…

And it had been just that type of thinking that ended up with him laying on the ground of a now empty warehouse, alone, and bleeding from a gunshot wound. His day really couldn’t get much better… except that things just seemed to get freakier by the minute. A whiny internal voice gave him a mental earful for using a word like ‘freakier’ but he ignored it, because it was his damn head and he could think however he wanted.

The reason things were freaky, more than usual, was that when Ronon had run off to pursue the bad guys who had shot him - and ow damnit that was still hurting like a bitch - John had momentarily hallucinated him wearing a completely different outfit. Which was just… weird, even for a hallucination. Because really, if your going to hallucinate it should be about something a little weirder than clothes, like dancing pink elephants or scary mutant vampires or rooms lighting up like Christmas trees when you entered them… not your colleague in dress-up.

And hell, here he came, still in his weird hallucinated gear, which seemed to suit him a lot more than it should.

“Sheppard!” Ronon spoke sharply, his voice laced with concern.

“Hey Ronon,” John smiled lazily, because the pain was changing into an interesting drifty feeling. “What’s with the clothes?” he asked, because it might just be that Ronon had changed when John wasn’t looking.

“Sheppard, the medics are on their way,” Ronon told him, ignoring his question completely. John frowned in irritation.

“Hey, didn’t answer me,” he said, or maybe slurred, he wasn’t sure.

“Stay with us, sir,” he distantly heard a voice say. Was that Lorne? It didn’t matter right now though, now he had to figure out what was with Ronon and his oddly appropriate costume.

“‘nd wa’s witall t’ ‘ifes,” was the last thing he said before he passed out.

***

Rodney idly pored over John Sheppard’s chart as he sipped his coffee. He could just about hear Carson talking to Lorne and Dex outside of the private room Sheppard had been placed in; reassuring them that the surgery went well and that Sheppard should be waking up within the next twelve hours. Rodney snorted and took several strides so that he was standing at Carson’s side opposite Lorne and Dex.

“That’s a bit of a optimistic estimate don’t you think?” he said.

“No I don’t actually, his surgery went very well, swimmingly even-”

“Nonetheless,” Rodney interrupted with a superior smirk, “He has suffered a major trauma and it could in fact be days before he regains consciousness,” he finished, losing the smirk, because really it wouldn’t do to make Lorne and Dex think he was pleased about it. They looked like men who could seriously hurt him if provoked.

“And you are?” Lorne asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Ah yes, this is one of our Attendings in the ER, Doctor Rodney McKay,” Carson told them.

“We’ve met,” Dex said shortly.

“We have?” Rodney frowned and scanned his mind for all the faces of his patients. “Oh yes, knife in your calf, healed disturbingly fast,” he said eventually.

“If you work in the ER what are you doing up here?” Lorne asked suspiciously.

“Rodney is actually an expert in various medical fields,” Carson said lightly.

“And I can multitask,” he said with a crooked smile. “I’ll be overseeing your colleague’s recovery on a daily basis, whereas Doctor Beckett will only be monitoring him on a weekly basis to make sure he did his job and stitched your friend up properly.”

“And it could really be days before he wakes up?” Lorne asked, a hint of concern creeping into his cool demeanour.

“Well, that’s more of a conservative estimate,” Carson began, Rodney shot him a look. “But it’s possible it could take that long, yes.”

“Damn, Caldwell’s not gonna’ be happy,” Ronon said.

“I don’t know about that,” Lorne answered, eyebrows raised. Rodney had a distinct feeling they were missing an in joke, and for some unimaginable reason -because he’d just met these people and obviously he wouldn’t know what they were talking about- it irritated him.

“He’s still gonna’ be down a man,” Ronon answered, Lorne shrugged his agreement.

“We better get back and report in,” he said. Ronon nodded his agreement.

“We’ll be back,” he told the two doctors solemnly before they departed.

“Do you think he practises that in front of the mirror?” Rodney asked snidely.

“Naturally,” Carson said with a smile before leaving to continue on his rounds. Rodney scowled at his retreating back before going back inside Sheppard’s room.

***

Everything was rather dark when John woke up. It took him a few minutes before he realised that that was probably because his eyes were closed. It seemed like too much of an effort to bother opening them, so he lay there quietly with his eyes closed.

His peace and quiet was intruded upon not long later by a pair of voices that sounded vaguely familiar.

“But it’s Cadman!” the male voice said in an outraged and horrified tone.

“They seem to be very well suited,” the female voice said diplomatically.

“She’s the human incarnation of all that is wrong with the world!” he exclaimed. John thought that this guy had to be over exaggerating a bit, a character trait which when coupled with the voice seemed even more familiar. “And now we’re going to have to socialise with her! Don’t you get it, they’ll be attached at the hip, being all love-dovey,” he sounded thoroughly disgusted, and if John wasn’t pretending to be unconscious right now he would have laughed.

“Sshh,” the woman admonished.

“Don’t be ridiculous Teyla, the man’s unconscious,” he said dismissively.

“It is quite likely that he has risen from unconsciousness and is merely sleeping, as you well know,” she said authoritatively.

“If that was the case then he has been sleeping for far too long, indicating that he is quite possibly one of the laziest people I’ve ever come in contact with. And considering that I work in this place that’s really saying something. But then again considering his profession it wouldn’t really be that surprising.”

Man, that guy could talk! It took a few seconds for John to process all that information and realise that there were a few well placed insults about him in there. He, who this man thought to be unconscious. And that really wasn’t fair at all was it?

So with substantial effort he managed to pry his eyelids open, unstick his tongue from the roof of his mouth, and croak an indignant, “Hey!”

John missed the look of shock on their faces, for as soon as he laid eyes on the man, he was assaulted with a reel of images. Throwing him off a balcony…walking through a sandy and barren landscape with a supportive hand on his back…a hastily bandaged arm over a tan coloured jacket sleeve…hanging upside-down from a tree in a bright orange suit…shivering and wet with congealed blood on the side of his head…

Suddenly he was blinded by a white light, when it was gone he blinked into their concerned faces.

“Back with us?” the man asked as he pocketed his penlight. John nodded slowly, glancing between the two. “Good,” he said shortly. “This is one of our nurses, Teyla,” he said, indicating the woman on John’s right who smiled pleasantly at him. “And I’m Doctor McKay,” he said. John flinched as his internal voice practically screamed a name at him. He sternly told it that whether it had gone crazy or gained some kind of telepathic powers, he didn’t want to know.

“Do you remember what happened?” Teyla asked gently.

“Er, yeah,” he answered, or tried to.

“Water,” McKay said with a snap of his fingers, and Teyla brought some over for John to take a few sips from. “As you were saying?”

“Yeah, we were on a raid and I was shot,” he paused and his eyes widened. “I was shot!” he repeated and pulled down the sheet and lifted up the shirt of the white scrubs he’d been dressed in (he wondered if Teyla had done that) to see a white bandage covering the right side of his abdomen. He reached out a finger to poke it, but his hand was grabbed by McKay.

“Don’t poke it you idiot!” he exclaimed. John narrowed his eyes.

“Did you learn that bedside manner at med. school or is it just a natural talent?” he asked sarcastically. There was a lengthy silent pause before McKay responded.

“Well as you’re making oh-so-witty comebacks so early after regaining consciousness, I’m sure you’re going to be fine,” he said shortly. “I’ll be back later,” he said, before swiftly departing.

“Was it something I said?” John asked the nurse innocently.

“I think he is just not used to his patients biting back,” she said with a smile.

***

Rodney ducked into the nearest empty room and closed his eyes and took a couple of steadying breaths. Crazy. He was going crazy.

As soon as Sheppard had responded with his bedside manner comment Rodney’s head had filled with memories of similarly responses made by Sheppard.

“ _McKay’s okay. He… he fainted.”_

“ _It doesn’t think on that level, it thinks about eating, that’s it.”  
_ “ _Well you would know.”_

“ _Maybe we should offer a sense of humour in trade.”  
_ “ _Sure. They can have yours.”  
_ “ _Oh please. My sides, you slay me.”  
_ “ _I’m thinking about it.”_

“ _This is why parents get someone else to teach their kids how to drive.”  
_ “ _I am both insulted and touched by that.”_

He banged his head against the wall in frustration. Definitely crazy. Today was the first time he’d spoken to Sheppard. And seriously, the places the memories took place in… a field with some Amish people, some weird kind of aircraft, a large room with strange looking computer terminals. Not to mention that Sheppard tended to be decked out in some kind of military uniform in all of them.

Completely crazy. And what made him more sure of his descent into insanity, was that even though he knew the memories were completely mad, they still continued to feel normal.

*** 

“Soo…” John drawled as McKay took his blood pressure. He glanced up and gave John a brief questioning glance, before continuing what he was doing. “What’s so bad about Cadman then?” he asked eventually, remembering the conversation he had overheard between McKay and Teyla.

“I’m very sure that’s none of your business,” McKay said as he noted things down on John’s chart. John shrugged, looking unconcerned. He had to bite down on a grin when McKay answered the question a few seconds later anyway.

“She’s just, she’s unbelievably- She’s-”

“The human incarnation of all that’s wrong with the world?” John prompted, Rodney gave him a look. “C’mon Rodney what’s so wrong with her?” he asked. McKay’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?” John asked in confusion.

“So, we’re on first name basis now are we?” he asked warily.

“What are you-” John cut himself off and swore angrily at his crazy and/or telepathic internal voice. At that moment Teyla made a well timed entrance.

“And for that matter who told you my Christian name?” Rodney asked. “Teyla?” he asked her.

“I have not,” she shook her head.

“No one else has been in here,” Rodney said with narrowed eyes. John tried to shrug nonchalantly.

“It must have been on your doctor’s coat thing,” he said.

“I never wear it,” Rodney responded quickly, doing a twirl to show off the blue scrubs he was wearing.

“Your security pass perhaps?” Teyla suggested.

“Yeah,” John nodded enthusiastically. “That’s gotta’ be it.”

“Right,” Rodney acquiesced, looking at John contemplatively.

“I just came to let you know, Miss James’ results are back,” Teyla said, breaking Rodney’s stare.

“Right, right,” he said briskly, nodding and heading to the door, Teyla following. “I’ll be back within the hour, to complete your check-up,” he said, waving a hand vaguely at John before exiting. John watched them go and stared at the door for some time afterwards, determinedly not thinking about how he’d known Rodney’s name, because Rodney hadn’t been wearing his security pass.

*** 

Rodney walked determinedly down the hall to Sheppard’s room, to question him on the rather creepy subject of how he had known Rodney’s name. Because, he knew that his pass had been hidden deep within his scrubs pocket, because the picture had been taken on a day when he hadn’t shaved, nor had a hair cut for several years, and he had been fed up with people making jokes about it.

He paused at the door and took a deep breath, ready to shout hysterically, but also obviously intimidatingly, at Sheppard about his apparent creepy mind-reading skills. However, he was thrown off balance by the presence of one intimidating, and not even slightly hysterical, Ronon Dex.

Head held high, despite his hesitancy, he walked into the room directly to Sheppard.

“I’ve just got to take some blood and I’ll be done,” he informed Sheppard who nodded and eyed the needle Rodney pulled out warily.

“So Doc., what are his chances?” Ronon asked with mock sincerity.

“Unfortunately, they’re looking pretty good at the moment,” Rodney answered using the tone he used to break bad news to his patients and their families. Sheppard smirked and didn’t look even a little insulted. If Rodney wasn’t a professional, he would have jabbed the needle in harder than necessary.

“Ow!” Sheppard exclaimed. Rodney looked at him innocently. Okay, so maybe he need to work on that whole professionalism thing.

“I’ll leave you guys to it then,” Ronon said and stood up from his chair as Rodney pulled the needle out of Sheppard’s arm.

Sheppard tensed up as Ronon made to leave, but all he said was, “See you later Ronon,” and “Thanks for coming.” And then it was just them in the room.

“How did you know my name?” Rodney blurted out after several seconds of awkward silence. Sheppard looked at him briefly before his eyes darted round the room, looking for escape. “Sheppard,” Rodney snapped.

“I have absolutely no idea,” he answered eventually, looking almost as creeped out as Rodney felt.

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Sheppard shrugged, looking uncomfortable.

“Any other…strange…symptoms?” Rodney asked, settling back into doctor mode.

“Symptoms?” Sheppard asked sceptically

“Yes. Well. If we take a medical approach to this, maybe-”

“You’ve seen a lot of people develop telepathy after gun-shot wounds then?” he asked dryly.

“No, not personally, but- Look, have you had any other weird symptoms or not?” Rodney snapped in irritation. Sheppard frowned at him. “Off the record,” Rodney added with a roll of his eyes and an impatient flick of his wrist.

“Well… just before I passed out in the warehouse, I…”

“Yes?”

“Well, I sorta’ hallucinated Ronon in this kind of long trench coat thing, and he had this weird gun with a red light on it and about a hundred-”

“Knives,” Rodney finished, eyes widened in shock as the image of Ronon Dex geared up in something our of Hercules flashed in his mind.

“Huh,” Sheppard sat back against his pillows. “Does this mean I’m not, you know, crazy?” he asked. Rodney sat down heavily in a nearby chair.

“It could be, erm, a group delusion, or erm…”

“Rodney,” Sheppard cut him off.

“Anything else?” Rodney said quickly, before Sheppard started questioning him on his own share of the ‘group delusion’.

“When I woke up, and looked at you, I had these flashes of memory…”

“In like weird army gear with guns and stuff?” Rodney asked.

“One with you in an orange suit, hanging upside-down from a tree,” Sheppard said with a smirk.

“Now isn’t the time to be laughing at my pain and discomfort, especially when you ran off and left me-” Rodney slapped his hands over his mouth.

“I was kinda’ busy chasing after Ford,” Sheppard answered with dawning comprehension. “Holy crap,” he muttered as he watched Rodney have an unusually quiet freak out.

“Colonel, where the hell are we?” he asked eventually, glancing warily round the hospital room.

*** 

“Ronon!” Teyla exclaimed.

“What?” he grunted, not lowering his weapon from the head of the Loranian scientist.

“He is the only one who can get Colonel Sheppard and Doctor McKay out of there!” she said earnestly, indicating the machines the two in question were hooked up to. Black wires inserted into their bodies, the machines even breathing for them.

“They cannot be removed,” Duyell told them dully.

“Why not?” Teyla asked.

“Eventually, yes. However, when I placed them in the machine I used a programme that lasts for a certain amount of time, no more or less,” he informed them.

“How long?” Ronon growled.

“A year.”

“That’s not acceptable,” Ronon said angrily.

“I’m afraid it is not open to negotiation. There is nothing I can do about it,” he said sounding completely unconcerned.

“Really?” Ronon asked with a twist of his mouth which didn’t contain enough humour to be a smile, and pressed the butt of the gun harder against Duyell’s temple.

“Well, if they realise their reality is simulated there are a number of backdoors in the programme,” Duyell explained. “But the programme is very advanced and it is unlikely they will be able to see through the simulation.”

“I wouldn’t underestimate them,” Teyla told him.

***

 **“** Rodney calm down,” John tried to placate a hyperventilating Rodney McKay.

“Calm down?” Rodney asked hysterically, pacing up and down the hospital room. “We’re in some kind of artificial environment, and have obviously been brainwashed into accepting it as reality. And I can’t even remember how we got here so who knows what happened to Ronon and Teyla, I mean that could be them, or they could be facsimile’s generated with the rest of this place-” he waved his hands around frantically as he spoke.

“McKay!” John shouted. Rodney stopped pacing. “Calm.”

“Right, right. Sorry,” he said, and collapsed into the chair again.

“So… ideas?” he asked after a moment.

“Not at the moment,” Rodney said into his hands.

“Really?” John asked, because really, that wasn’t like Rodney at all and that was a little suspicious considering the circumstances. Rodney looked at him from between his hands and sighed.

“Right, an idea,” he sat back and tapped his hands on the arms of the chair. “Well, we’ve got to assume someone’s monitoring us.”

“Why?” John asked, sitting up and wincing at the pain from his stomach. “Hey, do you think I’ve actually been shot?” he asked Rodney. “It sure as hell feels like it.”

“There’s no way to tell for sure, but if they can simulate all this then I’m sure a gunshot wound is nothing.”

“Right. So if someone is monitoring us, you think they’ll come talk to us now we’ve figured it out?” he asked.

“Either that or modify the programme so that we forget again,” Rodney shrugged.

“Great.”

*** 

“What if they do not realise that what they experiencing is not real?” Teyla asked, standing in front of McKay and glancing in something akin to morbid fascination at the machine he was held in.

“Then they will remain in the programme until it’s completion,” Duyell told her, still eyeing Ronon warily, even though he’d lowered his weapon.

“And then?” Ronon asked.

“The machine will release them.” Teyla glanced at him sharply, there was something in his tone that she did not like.

“But?” Evidently Ronon had heard it as well. Duyell hesitated before eventually speaking.

“None of the previous subjects have been able to endure the transition back into reality when released. They died.”

“That better not happen,” Ronon said lowly. “For your sake as well as theirs.”

*** 

Rodney jumped clear out of his seat when his pager vibrated a few seconds later.

“What?!” Sheppard asked, alarmed.

“Nothing, it’s just my pager,” he assured Sheppard whilst checking it

“Who is it?”

“Urm, it’s Elizabeth. Well not the _real_ Elizabeth obviously, but-”

“I get it Rodney. Are you going to go?” Sheppard questioned. Rodney looked at him in alarm.

“What if I have to do some ‘Doctor’ thing?” he asked.

“W-e-l-l,” Sheppard drew the word out. “What does she do here anyway?” he asked. Rodney was on the verge of snapping ‘How the hell would I know?’ when he realised that he did.

“Oh this is really weird, I have like two sets of memories,” he frowned.

“Tell me about it,” Sheppard said looking uncomfortable.

“She’s Chief of Staff, has an office on the third floor,” Rodney told him.

“So no gross ER stuff then,” Sheppard said encouragingly.

“Fine. Here I go,” he said angrily before striding out of the room.

*** 

“What are you doing?” Ronon asked as Duyell stepped up to one of the consoles and began typing. He glanced over his shoulder and scowled.

“It is possible to add other individuals into the programme, if we added someone with knowledge of the backdoors then they could conceivably let your friends out,” he said without looking up.

“And what is it that you are doing now?” Teyla asked, stepping closer to him and readying her hands on her weapon.

“I’m making sure that the programme will be able to accommodate another consciousness,” he said.

“Can it?” Ronon demanded, taking a step forward so he was in Duyell’s personal space.

“Yes, it appears so. Who would like to go in?” he asked enthusiastically, smiling at Teyla and Ronon in turn.

“Why can’t you?” Ronon asked.

“Who would monitor your progress and make sure you found the backdoor in the programme?” he asked. “I do believe that it should be you who enter,” he said to Teyla.

“Why her?” Ronon asked menacingly.

“Because she has a gentler nature than you my friend, and would likely break the news to them in a better manner,” he said.

“I think he may correct in this assumption Ronon,” Teyla said, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

“However,” Duyell interrupted. “I’d rather not,” he paused and looked at Ronon hesitantly. Teyla nodded her understanding, truth be told she didn’t quite trust Ronon to be alone with Duyell either.

“Ronon will return to the Stargate and radio for another team to be sent through,” she said. “To… assist us,” she said diplomatically. “Won’t you Ronon?”

“It looks like it, yeah,” he muttered, before stalking out of the lab.

*** 

“You wanted to see me, Elizabeth?” Rodney asked, sticking his head round to door of her office. It was more of a glorified cupboard really, no-where near as nice as the real one on Atlantis because the Ancients had obviously had a flair for design that the unimaginative guys who designed this place hadn’t. Which prompted his brain to remind him that this virtual environment was essentially created from his and Sheppard’s brains… Sheppard was obviously responsible for this.

“Yes I did,” she smiled. “Come in, take a seat.”

Rodney entered hesitantly, because wasn’t this just creepy? This wasn’t Elizabeth, he knew that, but what she was a combination of the perception he and Sheppard had of the real Elizabeth, and so to him and Sheppard she kind of was. Which was just confusing.

“Was there something specific, or-?” he made an expansive hand gesture.

“I just thought I’d see how you were doing,” she smiled her diplomatic smile at him, which he knew meant there was something he wasn’t going to like coming.

“Great. Fantastic. Any reason I shouldn’t be?” he asked quickly.

“Some of your staff in the ER were worried about you. They believed you may be putting yourself under undue amounts of stress. They suggested that perhaps you should consider talking to Doctor Heightmeyer,” she said with concern.

“Oh they did, did they?” he asked bitingly.

“They were only concerned for you,” Elizabeth said placatingly.

“I’m sure,” he said acidly. Stopping himself from going any further, because as he had to keep reminding himself, this place was not real. Despite himself he couldn’t help voicing his next realisation. “That’s why you sent me upstairs? Because you didn’t think I could cut it in the emergency room any more?” he demanded.

“Rodney,” fake-Elizabeth said gently.

“No!” he exclaimed, irrationally angry, but who cared, she wasn’t real, he could take it out on her. “Don’t _Rodney_ me!”

“It’s obvious to everyone you haven’t been getting enough sleep,” she said raising her voice. “And whilst you have yet to make a mistake-”

“Obviously,” he interrupted, she glared at him.

“It has to be taking its toll. Fatigue can have serious side-effects, slower thought processes, increased irritability, greater likelihood of making mistakes, hallucinations,” his head snapped up at the last item on the list. That couldn’t be coincidental. She noticed his reaction. “Have you been experiencing any of these symptoms?” she asked.

He looked at her steadily, his brain racing a mile a second. What would be the consequences if he revealed he and Sheppard had figured out that this wasn’t reality? She was obviously trying to subtly introduce the idea that his returning memories had in fact been hallucinations, which implied the programme controlling her didn’t want to let them out, or even for them to become aware of their simulated environment.

“No,” he snapped. “I haven’t. And you know me, if I was suffering I wouldn’t do so silently,” he said with a lopsided smile. “If you don’t mind, I’ve got patients to attend to,” he said shortly and raised an eyebrow at her.

“Of course,” she said with a transparent smile. “But if you need anyone to talk to Rodney,” she said looking at him meaningfully.

“I know where Kate’s office is,” he said icily, because whilst this wasn’t the Elizabeth who had ordered him to talk to the resident psychologist in real life, she sure as hell looked like her, and there were no consequences of being insubordinate here.

***

“I take it you have yet to visit the village?” Duyell asked Teyla not long after Ronon had left.

“No, Doctor McKay was rather enthusiastic about the energy readings he found from this building, so we decided to come here first,” she explained.

“I see,” Duyell paused and looked at her contemplatively. “It might be best if you did not visit them. Many of the villagers have taken to,” he paused, “Worshipping the Wraith,” he said with disgust.

“We had heard stories, but thus far only knew of these humans taking up residence onboard hive ships, not settling on planets of their own,” Teyla told him. “Surely they are just as vulnerable to attack as the rest of us if they are not onboard Wraith ships?” she questioned.

“For now the Wraith have agreed to leave them be, if they provide them with information about the goings on in the galaxy. But yes, you are right, eventually they will be culled along with all the other humans,” Duyell replied.

“You do not worship the Wraith?” she asked.

“No,” Duyell chuckled darkly. “I do not.” Teyla opened her mouth to ask another question, but Duyell cut her off. “If the Loranian’s see you and your people travelling through the gate, they will call the Wraith here,” he warned her.

“Why did you not tell us this sooner?” she demanded angrily, knowing there was no way for her to warn the others before their return. Duyell looked at her apologetically but didn’t answer the question.

*** 

John watched warily as Rodney entered his room later, wound tight as a spring, storm clouds almost literal above his head.

“How’d it go?” he asked warily. Rodney sighed and ran a hand over his face before looking at John.

“I don’t think we were s’posed to figure it out so soon, if at all,” he said. “Elizabeth tried to convince me I was hallucinating due to fatigue.”

“Well that was stupid, that doesn’t explain me does it?” John responded.

“If I hadn’t known about you, I would have probably bought it,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Why?” John asked.

“Because I am really, really exhausted,” he admitted. John frowned.

“Me too,” he said and Rodney’s eyes widened.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” he demanded.

“I thought it was ‘cause of this!” he said waving his hand at hid midsection. “You said they could simulate pain, why not fatigue!”

“I guess,” Rodney said looking unconvinced. “It just seems unlikely for both of us to be feeling so tired.”

“Well, what could it be then?” John asked, not really wanting to know, but knowing that he had to ask, and that Rodney would probably tell him anyway.

“I can only surmise that the interface between us and the virtual environment is not sophisticated enough, perhaps flawed.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, it’s probably putting great amounts of stress on our minds,” Rodney explained.

“We really need to get out of here,” John said, looking at Rodney earnestly. Looking for the answer that he always seemed to have.

“When you figure out how, let me know,” Rodney said quietly, John heard rather than felt his hopes fall to the simulated hospital floor with an almost audible thunk.

*** 

When Ronon, Beckett, Zelenka and Lorne and his team entered the lab it appeared to be empty. Lorne edged into the room carefully and checked behind the various consoles.

“Doc!” he called when he peered behind the one farthest back into the room. Beckett came rushing over.

“Oh my God,” he muttered as he dropped down to Teyla’s side and began examining the side of her head from where blood was trickling down her face and into her hair. When he lifted back her eyelid and shone a penlight in her eyes, she jerked back and blinked furiously, and groaned in pain.

“What happened?” Lorne asked as soon as she had fully regained consciousness.

“Duyell attacked me,” she told them.

“I should’ve shot him,” Ronon said angrily. Teyla frowned at Ronon before continuing.

“He said that he couldn’t allow us to interfere, that it would attract unwanted attention,” she recounted.

“From who?” Carson asked.

“I do not know, he did not say,” she said regretfully. “But he did inform me that the nearby village is occupied by Wraith worshippers, and that if they see us they will likely alert the Wraith to our presence,” she told them. Ronon grunted something angrily and they all looked at him questioningly.

“We were being followed for about five minutes after we arrived through the Stargate,” he told them. “I didn’t think they’d pose a threat.”

“It’s been almost half an hour since we came through the ‘gate,” Beckett said.

“Caughlin, Reed, get back to the gate and radio us if there’s any activity,“ Lorne ordered. “Doctor Zelenka?” Lorne asked Zelenka pointedly.

“Right,” he nodded, looking at the machine’s that imprisoned Sheppard and McKay hesitantly as he approached one of the consoles.

*** 

“Rodney,” Sheppard said as Rodney entered his room a few hours later, with two lots of Jell-O and two spoons. “Where’ve you been?” he asked as he gratefully took the Jell-O from Rodney.

“Oh, there was a car accident. Four critical, two minor…” he trailed off as he sat down on the end of the bed.

“Dead?” Sheppard asked gently.

“Yeah,” Rodney paused and looked at his Jell-O before putting it down on the tray. “A little girl. She died on the table while Radek and I were…” he stopped and looked down at his hands.

“Rodney, it’s not real,” Sheppard aid, sitting forward.

“Well it sure as hell feels like it okay?” Rodney said harshly before looking down at his hands again and taking a shaky breath. “Sorry,” he muttered.

“Maybe Elizabeth was right, huh?” Sheppard said. Rodney glared at him. “Hey, have you thought about the fact that you know how to do all that _doctor_ _stuff_?” he asked, changing the topic, but also asking a question which had been bothering him.

“Well, I took pre-med,” he said. “I guess it could be from watching medical television shows,” he mused.

“You learned how to be a doctor from T.V?” Sheppard asked in disbelief.

“You’re forgetting we’re in a virtual environment, it could be adapted to our skills. Or if the programme is this sophisticated, it could have downloaded the information directly into our brains,” he added.

“That’s kind of creepy,” Sheppard said with a frown.

“Actually, it’s fascinating, imagine if we could just download information instead of having to learn it. In fact if a recall, SG1 encountered a society that did just that via nanites in their brains-”

“Rodney,” Sheppard interrupted. “That’s _fascinating_ , but have you had any ideas about how we get the hell out of here?” Rodney rolled his eyes, but answered anyway.

“Well as a matter of fact, I was thinking about it earlier. And it would be only common sense to create some kind of back door to a programme like this.”

“Back door?”

“Yeah, like a hidden exit, in case something went wrong. I don’t know what the programme’s purpose is, but whatever it is it had to have undergone tests, and when the creators were testing it they would have wanted to be able to get out whenever they wanted,” he explained.

“So if we find one of these, hidden exits, then we’re outta’ here,” Sheppard said.

“But to where?” Rodney asked. “I for one have no memory of when or where we are, how ‘bout you?” he asked hopefully.

“Well, no.”

“We could get out only for them to kill us, there could be horrible and painful death. Or they could put us straight back in here again.”

“It’s gotta’ be better than this though, right?” he asked, Rodney shrugged noncommittally. “So how do we find the way out?”

“That’s the thing, it could be absolutely anything,” Rodney sighed.

“Like-?”

“Like a opening a door, pushing a button, turning down a different road, opening a window.”

“So it could be anything,” Sheppard echoed.

“Yeah.”

***

“Doc, how’s it coming?” Lorne asked, keeping an eye on Ronon as he paced in front of the machines McKay and Sheppard were in.

“I have managed to interface with the system,” Zelenka told him. “I should be able to get visual display,” he said, glancing up at the screens on either side of Sheppard and McKay. “There,” he said as the images flickered to life.

“That’s,” Beckett said. “Well, that’s.”

“It’s Mckay and Sheppard all right,” Lorne said, taking a step closer to the screen. “What exactly are we looking at here?” he asked Zelenka.

“This is the virtual environment they are experiencing,” Zelenka told him.

“I wonder what happened to Colonel Sheppard,” Beckett said.

“Can we get sound?” Lorne asked.

“Give me a minute,” Zelenka said, adjusting something on the console before speakers (located somewhere in the room that weren’t overtly visible) crackled to life.

“ _matter of fact, I was thinking about it earlier. And it would be only common sense to create some kind of back door to a programme like this.”_

“They’ve figured out it’s not real,” Ronon stated.

“It would appear so,” Teyla commented from her spot on the floor, leaning against a console.

“What’s he talking about?” Lorne asked.

“Ah yes, the back door or hidden exit,” Zelenka said. “I believe I have found it in the programming, and should be able to bring up it’s visual representation,” he said as he typed something on the lap top he had connected to the terminal he was at.

One of the screens flickered then transition into the image of a door with ‘Emergency Exit’ written on it.

“It is at the top of a stairwell in the hospital,” Zelenka explained.

“Hospital?” Ronon asked.

“Yes apparently Colonel Sheppard is a Detective who was shot in stomach on duty, Rodney is Doctor monitoring his recovery,” Zelenka told them.

“Rodney’s gotta’ love that,” Beckett said in amusement and with the air of someone who had much mocking planned for the very near future.

“So how do we tell them where the exit is?” Lorne asked.

“We can’t,” Zelenka said promptly.

“There must be something we can-” Teyla began to protest.

“No, I’m sorry. There is nothing we can do from here.” He clarified. “We must insert someone into the programme, with knowledge of the exit, so they can instruct Sheppard and Mckay on how to escape,”

“I dunno Doc,” Lorne hesitated.

“Is only way, Major,” Zelenka persisted.

“What about if we just pull them out?” Ronon asked.

“Yes, if you wish to cause permanent brain damage,” Zelenka said in irritation.

“Ok,” Lorne sighed. “So who’s going in?”

*** 

“So, did you try all the doors and windows?” John asked as Rodney walked into his room later.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I was doing,” Rodney replied sardonically.

“What were you doing?” John asked.

“Spying on Cadman and Carson,” Rodney admitted as he sat down in the chair by the bed.

“Let’s ignore the fact that they aren’t real for now, and go straight to why,” John said with a raised eyebrow.

“They’ve got a _date_ tonight,” he said with disgust.

“In real life are they…?”

“You are such a girl,” Rodney said with a grin. John shrugged and kicked Rodney to get an answer from him. “I don’t know, they had a few dates, but funnily enough people don’t tend to confide in me about that sort of thing,” he said with a self-depreciating half smile.

“Hey, if I ever get any, you’ll be the first to know,” John replied.

“Great.”

*** 

“I should be doing this,” Ronon said as they strapped Lorne into one of the machine’s.

“Yes, it would probably work. But this is ancient technology, and if for any reason gene makes individual more compatible in this case…” Zelenka trailed off. “Doctor Beckett needs to remain out here so he can care for them when they are released if need be.”

Ronon didn’t say anything, but he didn’t look happy.

“Major Lorne will do a fine job,” Teyla said with an encouraging smile.

“Thanks,” Lorne muttered as he eyed the wires Zelenka and Beckett were attaching to him. “So what will I look like?” he asked, at their raised eyebrows he clarified, “Like me yeah, but will I be wearing my uniform or-”

“Well, I’ve removed the element of the programme that brainwashes the individual into believing and taking on their roles in the virtual environment, so probably your internal image of yourself,” Zelenka told him. “I’d try and picture yourself in your uniform if I were you, it might be more reassuring,” he added.

“Right,” he nodded and took a deep breath. “Plug me in.”

“Here we go,” Zelenka said. Lorne closed his eyes.

*** 

“So what happened with you and Katie then?” Sheppard asked, presumably because they seemed to be in gossiping teenage girl mode. Rodney scowled at him. “C’mon,” Sheppard coaxed.

“Nothing much,” Rodney responded grudgingly.

“Why not?” Sheppard asked.

“I was busy with saving _everyone’s_ _lives_ is why not,” Rodney grumbled, Sheppard looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Fine, she was too nice to go out with me, I’m a jerk and for some reason she hadn’t noticed. I got Cadman to set her up with someone,” he finished with a shrug.

Sheppard stared at him for a moment.

“If this ruins your previous image of me as a person you can pretend I never told you,” Rodney snapped. Sheppard grinned.

“Who?”

“What?”

“Who did Cadman set her up with?” Sheppard asked.

“I-” Rodney began just as the door opened.

*** 

“He’s in,” Zelenka confirmed before walking towards another terminal in the room.

“What are you doing?” Beckett asked.

“I thought it would be useful to see if it is possible to download the database of this outpost,” Zelenka explained. “And doing now, instead of waiting for others to escape programme only saves time,” he shrugged and turned back to the console.

Everyone else diverted their attention to the view screens, where Lorne had just entered Sheppard’s hospital room, but their attention was soon diverted back to Zelenka when he exclaimed something in his native tongue.

“What?” Ronon asked.

“I have discovered long range sensors, Wraith cruiser is approaching.”

*** 

“Lorne?” Rodney asked incredulously.

“In the flesh,” he paused. “So to speak.”

“I thought you weren’t coming by ‘til tomorrow,” Sheppard said cautiously.

“Sir,” Lorne said stepping forward. “Look at me,” he indicated is Atlantis uniform. “I’m the real me,” he said.

“Really?”

“This could be a trick,” Rodney said quickly. “The programme could make it seem like we escape, but really we’d still be here.”

“Look, we brought Zelenka out and he figured out how to plug me in. Not before finding the hidden exit to this place so I could lead you to it,” Lorne explained.

“Okay then,” Sheppard said and began to get to his feet.

“But-”

“If it is part of the programme, what difference does it make? We’re still stuck in here. But if it’s not?” Sheppard said. Rodney stared at him for a moment.

“Right. What are we standing around for then?” he asked. Lorne glanced at Sheppard who rolled his eyes, before opening the door and leading them down the hallway.

***

“ _Sir, we have in coming darts_ ,” Reed’s voice came over the radio.

“Major Lorne is indisposed at the moment,” Teyla responded. “We have detected an approaching cruiser as well,”

“ _The Major isn’t in a position to issue orders?_ ” Caughlin asked.

“I’m afraid not,” Teyla told them.

“ _Then we’ll remain by the gate, so we can dial Atlantis as soon as the Wraith close it up from their end_.”

“No!” Zelenka interrupted.

“ _Doctor, we need to secure a route home, with no puddlejumpers to dial-_ ”

“There is DHD here and building is more shielded than open field yes?” Zelenka cut him off.

“ _We’ll be able to dial the gate from there?_ ” Reed asked.

“Yes!”

“ _On our way. Reed out._ ”

“They need to hurry things along in there,” Beckett said, glancing nervously at the unconscious men.

“If you find way to tell them, please do not hesitate. Otherwise is waiting game,” Zelenka said as he returned to one of the terminals.

*** 

“Do you know where you’re going Major?” Sheppard asked as they emerged from the lift into a corridor with three doors leading off it and a stairwell at each end.

“You’re one to talk,” Rodney muttered.

“Well, it’s either this end, or that end,” Lorne said, glancing up the corridor.

“It’s not this one,” Rodney said dismissively as he began walking down the corridor.

“How do you know?” Lorne asked as he and Sheppard followed McKay towards the other staircase.

“That’s the helicopter pad, we brought a guy in via there yesterday. I was there, it didn’t feel like the escape route home to me, more like the high roof of a building,” he told them.

They followed Rodney to the stairs and began to walk up them, at the top of the stairs was an Emergency Exit door.

“That’s it,” Lorne said, gesturing towards the door. Sheppard and McKay looked at it, before starting forward. But in a blink of an eye it had disappeared, along with everything else.

*** 

“What happened?” Teyla asked, standing up and reaching a hand to touch the monitor besides Rodney.

“I do not know,” Zelenka frowned at the blank white screen. Suddenly, a dangerous sounding ringing sound resounded throughout the lab.

“What’s that?” Beckett asked, looking startled.

“I-” Zelenka looked intensely at the screen for a moment. “We have in coming darts, but…”

“But what?” Ronon demanded.

“It appears we have a cloak,” Zelenka said with wide eyes.

“Well that’s good,” Caughlin commented.

“Very good,” Beckett added.

“Yes, for the moment,” Zelenka said.

“What do you mean?” Teyla asked.

“This,” Zelenka waved a hand around the room, sweeping over Lorne, McKay and Sheppard, “Uses much power. If they scan concentrated in this area, it is possible they may detect some of the power usage, even through the cloak.”

“So we’re still against the clock?” Ronon questioned.

“I’m afraid so, yes.”

*** 

“What the-?” Sheppard blinked against the stark whiteness that surrounded them. There was literally nothing for as far as the eye could see.

“Was that, erm, s’posed to happen?” Lorne asked as he looked around pointlessly; there was nothing to look at.

“You’re the one who led us here Major. You should be answering that question. Not asking it!” Rodney snapped.

“Rodney,” Sheppard said warningly before turning to Lorne. “Did Doctor Zelenka say this would happen?” he asked.

“Well,” Lorne paused. “He didn’t really say what would happened.” Rodney rolled his eyes. “But it was _implied_ that we’d escape,” he added.

“So nothing about a big white room?” Sheppard asked, rhetorically.

“No, sir,” Lorne answered anyway.

“This is not a room Colonel,” Rodney said imperiously, spinning round with his arms outstretched. “Do you see a door? Or walls?” he asked.

“So what is it then?” Sheppard asked.

“It is nothing,” an unfamiliar voice said. Sheppard looked round; he, Rodney and Lorne were still the only ones there.

“You’d think a disembodied voice might have something a little more helpful to say,” Rodney muttered as the three of them took careful steps, gravitating closer together.

A flash of bright white light - which would have probably been far more impressive anywhere other than a stark white non-room - coalesced before them, gradually changing into the form of a man.

When he had finished ‘glowing’, he stood in front of them and surveyed them serenely.

After a few moments of silence, Rodney elbowed Sheppard in the ribs, who glared at him but stepped forward nonetheless.

“Er, hi,” he said lamely. But it appeared to be the conversation starter the man was looking for.

“Greetings, I apologise if my explanation seemed limited, but it was accurate,” he said with a tight smile in Rodney’s direction. Rodney opened his mouth to speak but he was cut off before he could. “This is, in essence, nothing,” he said with a smile. “I brought you here, because I believe with more time spent inside the ‘virtual environment’ as you call it, you could be the first of the second race to succeed,” he said earnestly.

“Second race?” John asked with a frown.

“Succeed at what?” Rodney questioned, almost simultaneously.

The man threw a look at Lorne and frowned.

“You have the capacity for growth, as well as the genetic link. But you should not be here.”

“Major Lorne came to help us out,” Sheppard explained as he watched Lorne tense at the accusatory inflection in the man’s voice. “Could you explain the ‘second race’ comment, please?” he said with a smile.

“Don’t be ridiculous Colonel, it’s obvious. He’s an Ancient,” Rodney said impatiently.

“Of course he is,” Sheppard replied slowly, with a disarming smiling. “He’s an Ancient, by the name of…..?”

“My apologies, I am named Duyell, Abelard Duyell.”

**** 

“Doctor?” Teyla asked in concern as Zelenka muttered increasingly more stunned sounding things in his native tongue.

“This place, this ‘virtual environment’, it was built by the Ancient’s in order to research ascension,” he said with wide eyes.

***

“You said something about succeeding,” Rodney prompted now that the pleasantries were out of the way. “Succeed at what?” 

Duyell smiled, all teeth and no kindness.  “This place was created in order to assist our kind in to ‘ascend’, as you phrase it,” he explained.

“And you think we-?” Sheppard paused and gestured at Rodney and himself. “Are glowly-higher-plane-of-existence material?” he asked sceptically. 

Duyell smiled, somewhat condescendingly.  “Yes,” he answered. “And even if you are not,” he said, his tone indicating that that was in fact most probably the case, “The virtual environment can make you so.”

“And how, pray tell, can it do that?” Rodney asked doubtfully.

*** 

“Oh dear,” Zelenka muttered.

“What?” Beckett asked.

“It appears the creator was obsessed with finding the best path to ascension,”

“Best?” Teyla asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes, and by that I mean quickest; most efficient,” he clarified. “This programme is amazingly complex, but from what I can tell he established very specific perameters from records of Ancients who had in fact ascended,” Zelenka paused.

“And?” Beckett prompted.

“This machine is designed to assess which of these requirements the individuals fulfil and those which they do not, via a simulation created by their minds that best facilitates it. Then it will effectively re-programme them, based on this information, so they will be able to ascend.”

“Re-programme?” Ronon asked.

“That does not sound good,” Teyla stated.

“No,” Beckett agreed, with a concerned look at the three men trapped in the machine. “It doesn’t.”

***

“The programme I designed is very complex Doctor McKay. I’m afraid even an individual of your intelligence would find it difficult to fully understand,” he said with a toothy smile.

“How ‘bout you just give us the simple version then?” John asked, allowing a hint of anger to creep into his voice. Duyell smiled again, ascended enamel glinting at them cruelly.

“I think not,” he said firmly. “You’re curiosity is admirable amongst those of your own species, but it’s not a trait we value.”

“Sorry about that, but it’s not exactly something we can change,” John said.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Duyell said with a smile.

“What are you-?” John began but stopped as he was struck by a pain so intense it had him falling to his knees. It felt as if his mind was being split in two, and he felt a deep wrenching ache in his heart. Distantly he could hear Rodney screaming nearby and vaguely wondered why he couldn’t hear Lorne.

Throughout it all, Duyell smiled down serenely on them. Only now, through the haze of pain, could John see the hint of insanity in his eyes.

*** 

“Get them out of there!” Beckett shouted at Zelenka as Sheppard and McKay started convulsing.

“It might do more harm than good!” Zelenka exclaimed.

“I am sure that they would much rather deal with those consequences than be reprogrammed,” Teyla said. Zelenka hesitated for a moment before he reached out towards the console. But before he could do anything, the convulsions stopped.

*** 

Rodney lay on the floor, and stared at the ceiling. Except that it wasn’t a floor or a ceiling, _it was nothing._ He took a deep breath as the pain receded, but still remained in the background, along with the same pain in his chest. A pain that wasn’t really tangible, but more like emotional heartache. Rodney shook his head, but there was something that felt a little off about it as well.

“McKay?” Lorne’s voice interrupted his musings. Rodney blinked as Lorne’s face swam into focus above him. He sat up slowly, and winced at the returning pain in his head. “You okay Doc?” Lorne asked.

Stupid question, Rodney thought idly as he frowned against the pain.

“Fine,” he said, despite the pain he was in.

“Well you got off lightly then,” he heard Sheppard say, and turned to see him sitting cross-legged with his head in his hands. “I’ve got the mother of all headaches,” he said, looking up.

“Well, now that you mention it….” Rodney trailed off as the others frowned at him.

“And you didn’t feel the need to complain about this bitterly from the second you woke up?” Lorne asked, Sheppard nodded in agreement.

“Huh,” Rodney said, they were right. “I didn’t.” Sheppard and Lorne exchanged a look. “Colonel, how are you feeling?” Rodney asked.

“Like hell,” he muttered. “And what’s with feeling like I’ve been punched in the gut?” he asked.

“That’s not just me then?” Rodney asked as he glanced around. “Where’d Duyell go?” he asked.

“He disappeared right after you guys stopped screaming,” Lorne told him.

“Question,” Rodney said. “Why weren’t you screaming in agony with us?” Lorne shrugged.

“Maybe because the Major wasn’t invited to the original party,” Sheppard said.

“What now?” Lorne asked.

“I guess we wait for-” Sheppard began, but was interrupted by a familiar bright white light. He blinked against it, before opening his eyes, expecting to see Duyell standing before them, and so standing to ‘greet him’.

“Who are you?” Rodney, also standing now, asked, the willowy brunette women, who had appeared instead. Sheppard sent him a reproachful look, admittedly he’d been wondering the same thing, but he intended to ask more tactfully.

“I am Amaysha,” she smiled at Rodney.

“Where’s Duyell?” Sheppard asked.

“He is convening with the others,” she told them.

“About?” Rodney questioned.

“About you, Doctor McKay,” she smiled at his shocked look, and added, “All of you.”

“And by other, you mean other Ancients?” Lorne asked.

“That is correct, Major. But it is merely a distraction, so that we can successfully destroy this machine of his once and for all,” she explained.

“Erm, if you think that’s necessary I’m sure we’re all right behind you. But…” Rodney trailed off.

“But we’re still in this machine, and it’s destruction would most likely mean out destruction.” John finished for him and Rodney nodded in agreement.

“Oh but we’d remove you from it first, of course!” She exclaimed. “We would not leave you to be killed!”

“Really?” Sheppard asked sceptically.

“Really,” Amaysha repeated earnestly. “You are the greatest hope that our children in Pegasus have. Which is why we have interfered with Duyell’s interfacing,” she smiled.

“I don’t know about that-” Sheppard began, but Rodney cut him off.

“Why not just destroy the machine before he could use it?” He asked.

“I’m afraid that was rather selfish of us,” she said, looking embarrassed. At their aquiring looks she continued. “While the machine was here, so was Duyell, thus meaning he was not with us.”

“Bit of a pain in the ass, is he?” Sheppard asked lightly.

“More than that,” she said. “His first experiments were conducted on himself. He created the machine to help _him_ ascend. And whilst he succeeded, the process of reprogramming left him slightly…unbalanced.”

“So you left the crazy man, with super powers, and a soul destroying machine, to his own devices, because you didn’t want him to pollute your higher plane of existence with his own special brand of self created insanity?” Rodney asked derisively.

“In essence…” Amaysha nodded, looking guilt-ridden. “But we intervene whenever we can to stop him,” she defended.

“Oh great!” Rodney exclaimed angrily. “So when we’ve already been, how did you put it? ‘Reprogrammed’, we still have the reassurance that you’ll turn up to give us a heartfelt apology!” He shouted.

“Rodney!” Sheppard snapped, hoping to prevent any further hysteria. “Cut it out.”

Rodney took a deep calming breath. “Sorry,” he muttered.

“We may be able to reverse the damage,” Amaysha said contemplatively. “But I will release you first and destroy the machine, and then discuss this matter with others,” she promised.

“Thank you,” Sheppard said gratefully.

“I will release you now,” she said, before they were all engulfed in the eretheal white light.

*** 

“What’s going on?” Beckett asked.

“The programme has ceased running,” Zelenka said.

“So they’re just unconscious now?” Beckett questioned.

“No, readings indicate,” he said, pressing a few buttons so an image appeared on one of the screens that previously showed the video feed.

“Their brain waves are the same as if they were awake,” Beckett interrupted.

“If their minds are no longer occupied by the machine, then how is that possible?” Teyla asked.

“I’ve no-” Zelenka began, but what cut off as they were engulfed in white light. When the light dissipated the group found themselves in an open field.

The whirring noise of a dart filled the air.

“Take cover!” Reed yelled, and they began sprinting towards the tree line, but it was too far away.

“Scatter!” Ronon shouted; they all ran and jumped in opposite directions.

Suddenly, the noise of the dart stopped. They looked up to see it encompassed in tendrils of white light.

“The light resembles that which defended Proculus from attack,” Teyla stated, just before the dart exploded.

“It did kinda didn’t it?” Sheppard asked from behind them. They all stood up quickly and turned to face Rodney, Lorne and Sheppard.

“Who’s she?” Ronon demanded.

“My name is Amaysha,” she smiled. “It is a great pleasure to meet you Ronon Dex,” she nodded to the others. “To meet you all.”

“She’s an Ancient for the slow one’s among you,” Rodney added.

“I’m afraid I must return and make an effort to try and restrain Duyell,” she said regretfully.

“Duyell?” Beckett asked. “The Loranian scientist?”

“No, a crazy, crazy Ancient,” Sheppard corrected.

“What-?” Teyla began.

“I really must go, I will leave you to explain,” she nodded to Rodney, Sheppard and Lorne.

“But you said you’d…” Sheppard trailed off.

“Yes I did, and I will fulfil my promise Colonel Sheppard. But I’m afraid this must take precedence for the moment. You will be fine until then,” she assured them.

“Right,” Rodney muttered.

“I will come to you when I can,” she promised, before disappearing in a flash of white light.

Sheppard took a deep breath and tried to ignore the deep pain inside him. He glanced at Rodney and saw him struggling to keep his composure.

“C’mon Rodney,” he said, his smile was brittle. “Let’s go home,” he said, as reassuringly as he could before he lead the way back to the gate. Rodney fell in step besides him shortly thereafter, the others following behind them.


End file.
